more than a lucky penny

Do you pick up pennies? I sometimes do. Bending over with this belly, though, gets me pondering seriously about whether I really want to or not. A quarter, though, is a great find; I think I'd stoop for that.

Back in my running days (five months ago--it seems so long ago), I'd even stop to pick up a dime or nickel. It's fun to secret it away into my running shorts' pocket and have it there like a totem. It beats ever so slightly against the top of my quad for the rest of the run and for runs to come. I used to give the change I found to Baby Brother, but now that he's richer than I am, I hoard my finds.

Yesterday found me going for a walk in the cool morning air. My lovely one was still slumbering, so I stole away with his phone and headed out. I gave Si a call, but she was on her way out the door to run errands, so we said hi rather quickly and then ended the brief conversation. I made my way down the trail to get to a nice stretch of flat road; my hips like flat.

Walking, walking, breathing, stretching out my legs. A five dollar bill? Well, yes, I'll pick that up. I looked around to see if there was a parked car nearby that it could have fallen out of. No. And it wasn't really near any house. I felt guilty, almost. Five dollars? A small smile turned my lips up as I finished my head glances around. I stuck the bill in my sweatshirt pocket and continued walking. I felt lucky.

I stopped by the padres' house because I just had to tell someone about my find, plus I had to ask Pa a couple questions. So I tell him and Josh about my luck, and, of course, they say, "Oh, yeah, that's the five dollars we lost on our way to school yesterday." Haha. They think they're so clever. I should have known they wouldn't revel in my rejoicing. They just wanted my money. But I kept it for myself and all the luckiness that came with it because I rarely rarely get lucky.

Happy and lucky weekend! Tomorrow's Dad's birthday and Monday is Josh's. He will be 12. I remember the Conference weekend when he was born. Crazy that he's already turning into a deacon.

he's here!

My babiest cousin arrived but 24 hours ago. I haven't seen him yet, but can't wait to hold him. Yay for babies!

I stole this picture from the email announcement.
Hope that's ok with the new parents.

Seeing even just a picture of this new one makes me even more curious and excited to see what our little one will look like. It also makes me so happy because I just know our boys will be fast friends. Congratulations Auntie and Uncle!

writer's notebook: found poem

I haven't been writing much lately, so I made myself a new writer's notebook to excite me into writing. I hope it works. I finished it today, but I've yet to pen any words within the pages. I thought I'd share here my found poem. I think I still like what I came up with last year better, but meh. Here it is.

If there is an address for the soul,
It's where everything bright
And strong
And never tamed
Comes together on high.

If you want to join
Two sides of a river,
You might be able to.

If you try too hard,
You may miss
Your favorite place
In the universe.

It is a place
Where there's always
A downpour of inspiration.

React to a new poem.
Be enchanted.
Have a favorite dream.

Leave your mark on the sand.

"Say You Love" (the last stanza)

Give love
as guiltless clouds
release their rain
to thirsty grass
that it may spring again

--May Swenson

it must be a curse

It seems like every time I wash the car it rains the next day.

Yesterday we washed the car. It's raining as I type this.

I love rain. I do. Why does it make me want to never wash the car?

Oh well. Life goes on. Time for a nap before coaching.

"there is nothing more astonishing than a human face"

From Gilead by Marilynne Robinson:

"They say an infant can't see when it is as young as your sister was, but she opened her eyes, and she looked at me. She was such a little bit of a thing. But while I was holding her, she opened her eyes. I know she didn't really study my face. Memory can make a thing seem to have been much more than it was. But I know she did look right into my eyes. That is something. And I'm glad I knew it at the time, because now, in my present situation, not that I am about to leave this world, I realize there is nothing more astonishing than a human face...You feel your obligation to a child when you have seen it and held it. Any human face is a claim on you, because you can't help but understand the singularity of it, the courage and loneliness of it. But this is truest of the face of an infant. I consider that to be one kind of vision, as mystical as any."

graceful

Only a few people outside my immediate family will get this, but I'm still gonna write it. These are a few lines from my handy dandy pregnancy book:

"Without even knowing it, you may be starting to adjust your posture and the ways you stand, move, and walk. You may at times feel as if you're going to tip over. This is normal. You'll return to your more graceful self after your baby is born."

It really says that.

Back-story if you're interested or have no idea about the import of graceful.